Klay Thompson agrees on deal with the Dallas Mavericks, multiple reports say

DALLAS — Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple NBA insider reports.

Shams Charania with The Athletic was the first to report the deal.

The 34-year-old guard will reportedly sign a three-year, $50 million contract with Dallas in a multiple-team sign-and-trade deal between the Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Hornets, whom multiple reports state will receive Mavs forward Josh Green as a part of the deal.

It is not known yet what assets would be going back to the Warriors.

Thompson reportedly had interest from multiple playoff contenders across the league, including the Los Angeles Lakers. The former Warriors guard had other offers for four years and more money, according to ESPN, but decided to take less to sign in Dallas.

The five-time NBA All-Star had spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors since he was drafted by the team in 2011. During his career, Thompson has averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 45.3% shooting from the field, and 41.3% shooting on three-pointers. As a tandem, he and current Warriors guard Stephen Curry are considered by many to be the best shooting backcourt in NBA history.

Last season, Thompson came off the bench for the first time in his career, playing a sixth-man for 14 games. The Warriors finished 10th in the West with a 46-36 record, and failed to make it out of the play-in tournament. The Mavs are coming off a trip to the NBA Finals where the team lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Earlier this offseason, Dallas traded guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Texas-native shooting guard Quentin Grimes. 

Mavs forward Derrick Jones Jr. also reportedly agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Soon before Jones’ signing with the Clippers was announced, multiple sources reported that New Orleans Pelicans free agent small forward Naji Marshall agreed on a three-year, $27 million deal with the Mavs.

Thompson will likely slot into a Mavs starting lineup that is expected to include Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington and either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II at center. Thompson will take many of Jones Jr.’s minutes in the starting lineup, while Grimes and Marshall will likely take the minutes left behind by Hardaway and Green.

Thompson has dealt with both a torn ACL and an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

While he hasn’t been as strong of a defender since returning, Thompson has still shown himself to be an elite shooter from deep, and someone who can fit into a role on a successful playoff team.